Upon arrival please report to Treasurers and pay your $40 race fee (if you have not done so already – tut tut…). This covers race entries, personal registration and photo ID race tag, water and 100 Plus drinks on both days, sandwich lunch and beers on the Saturday and the team dinner at London on Boat Quay on the Sunday evening.

You will be given a photo ID tag which you will need to wear all weekend (if lost or forgotten the organisers will charge you $30 for a replacement- yes I’ve got that T-Shirt too…).

If you are running late or have any “problem” please advise Philip before 08.30am on the Saturday

We will have a British Dragons tent near to the Race Control adjacent to the Marina Barrage building.

For Car Parking the lots in front of Marina Barrage are definitely “Out of Bounds” until at least 11.00 (due to the race and also the “World Water Day 2014” activities which are also taking place). Parking may still be possible on the far side of the road and also at Gardens by the Bay.

You may find it easiest to simply go to Bayfront by MRT and take a gentle stroll through Gardens by the Bay to reach the race site (about a 15 minutes walk).

All team members must be wearing a team racing shirt and team bandana (or cap) in order to race. No other shirts or headwear are acceptable. Team shorts (or dark blue or black variants) are also required. If you need kit for the race (or dinner) then email your order to Gill at:kit@britishdragonboat.com

Remember that footwear is compulsory in the boats. Please limit valuables to essentials for the weekend as our marquee will not be fully secure.

Times and line-ups for races are subject to constant change so always:

Know which event you’re competing in (look at the posted team boat layouts);

Stay close to the team marquee;

Let the Committee know your whereabouts at all times when NOT close to the team marquee.

All Paddlers who are racingmust be present from 08.30am on the Saturday and remain on hand throughout the race programme until its conclusion on the Sunday when the Captains will stand the team down. Last minute reserve substitutions can sometimes be needed in races and so all Paddlers must be ready and able to step into a race boat if asked.

Sunday will be our traditional “Pot Luck Lunch” so please plan to bring along your choice of nutritious food to share with your team mates. This can include salads, baked items, cheeses, dips or indeed any type of “proper” food which can be served on a plate!

Please wear your drinking shirt for the Race Dinner and do remember to bring along your London membership card so that you can enjoy your member discount (and also ensure that our team rebates are garnered accordingly).

Do eat well in the coming days. Carb load the night before the race (pasta, rice, etc.), get plenty of protein and make sure you bring along your choice of Berocca, Hydration Salts, Energy Gels, Bananas etc. Also have a hearty breakfast before setting out so that you will be in good shape for the all-important first heats (if we fail to qualify in those then of course we will just sit empty- handed on the shore all weekend watching other teams step up to the podium…)

Remember to bring plenty of sunblock and water along to the event and please make sure that you hydrate well before and during the weekend.

Finally, please familiarise yourself with the whereabouts of the race site and be punctual for each day of racing – late arrivals can cause a lot of stress for the Captains and may even jeopardise a race boat entry.

2) CAPSIZE DRILL REMINDER

Capzizes in races are rare but certainly not unknown. Last year at Marina Bay we were capsized by another boat which sideswiped us as we leaving the pontoon for a race! So please read the follow instructions carefully:

If you are in a boat which does capsize then it is no big deal so long as you remember the following crucial words of advice from our Captains:

a) Do Not Panic!

b) Check that your row buddy has bobbed to the surface and is okay (if not raise the alarm and feel under the overturned boat)

c) DO NOT swim to the shore – wait for the safety boat to take charge and instruct*

(* This last instruction may leave you thinking “Huh?”, especially if you are in a boat which capsizes just a few metres from the shore and you could swiftly step onto dry land. But a capsize – especially if it involves boats with paddlers from different teams pitched together into the water – can be a very confusing situation for a few minutes. Once a paddler swims off to shore and disappears into the massed crowds watching then the whole thing becomes much more serious as it will be assumed that the person may be missing and this will cause great concern and likely trigger a frantic rescue search. So if you do end up in the water simply stay with your row buddy and check that the paddlers in the rows around you are accounted for and not injured. In this way it will be easy for the Captain and Cox to do a headcount for everyone and let the safety boat know that the whole crew is okay).

Remember: stay with your team in a capsize until instructed otherwise – DO NOT swim to shore.